Richard Haynes PTA/CPT - 9/8/2009

Question
For the past 2-3 weeks i have been experiencing pain in my right forearm. i work for a furniture company in which i am moving furniture and appliances all day long and have noticed that when i lift something heavy,  i get a sharp pain in the middle of my forearm. When i squeeze it there is no pain it is only when i lift something heavy. I have broken my wrist 2 or 3 different times so i know what a broken bone feels like and it almost feels like that but not as bad. Then yesterday i was at a cookout and threw a football and felt the pain, so it seems like its getting worse. PLEASE any suggestions would be extremely helpful.

Answer
Hi Neal,

I would bet a well you do not have a fracture there but, you may have a case of tendonitis in one of those extensor tendons in the forearm. That's just a hunch however. If you do not have any bruising in the area I would say it is strictly soft tissue inflammation possibly brought on by your type of work where you are using your hands to grasp things tightly even though the pain is in the forearm not underneath it where the tendons lie.

Try icing it at night and heat as well. I  would ice it one night, heat it the next after work. It sounds like some sort of overuse problem and ice, heat and staying away from any heavy objects to grasp other then at work may in time calm the area down.

This is not really my area of expertise but this is the way I would attack the problem unless I began to notice increasing problems and then would have an orthopedist take a look at it.
Increasing problems like increase swelling and unable to do simple things like holding a toothbrush or fork due to pain.

Good Luck
Richard Haynes PTA/CPT
Punta Gorda, Florida